How much for a tie rod and balancing....

seamus

Got a quote from a Renault dealer for nearly €300 (ex VAT) to replace the tie rod and balance the wheels on a 2007 scenic. Seems insanely steep to me. Am I wrong in thinking that it should only cost about half that, if even?

BrianD3

It's several years since I bought tie rods but IIRC they were around 100 quid each at the time from the main Renault dealer. If they've gone up in the meantime and you're paying 80+ quid per hour labour then you could get close to 300 including fitting and tracking.

Are they quoting for 2 or 1 tie rod?

kenny111

I paid €300 last week for two tie roads, replacing two front blown bulbs and a full service (if its ok to name the dealer in bandon mods please let me know)

seamus

From what I gather that's the quote for one tie rod (front left) + balancing.

no1beemerfan

Bloody hell! Is that because modern cars have become more complicated or the tie rod end does/support more functions now?

I'm replacing the ones on my 1997 laguna this coming saturday myself. The two cost me €22 in the motor factors. As in €11 each and hopefully I'll have them changed within the hour.

Our local tyre place balances a wheel for €10.

aujopimur

You will need your wheel alignement checked after trackrod end replacement.

BrianD3

seamus wrote: »

From what I gather that's the quote for one tie rod (front left) + balancing.

You sure it's not tracking/alignment rather than balancing. The former has to be done after a tie rod replacement whereas there would be little point doing the latter.

Tracking/alignment on its own can cost 40-60 quid.

Also if others have been quoted much cheaper prices it may be for a tie rod end rather than a tie rod which may be a more substantial and expensive part. Still there's little doubt that Renault garage will charge a considerably more for the part than a motor factors would for the same part.

seamus

Yeah, it'll probably be tracking then. From what I gather it's a front left tie rod assembly, I'll have to check the actual quote when I pick up the car tomorrow. Seems to me I'm looking at €50 each for the part & tracking then plus whatever labour.

taintabird

no1beemerfan wrote: »

Bloody hell! Is that because modern cars have become more complicated or the tie rod end does/support more functions now?

I'm replacing the ones on my 1997 laguna this coming saturday myself. The two cost me €22 in the motor factors. As in €11 each and hopefully I'll have them changed within the hour.

Our local tyre place balances a wheel for €10.

are you sure it was the tie rod ends you changed thats way too cheap. there is a difference between tie rod ends and track rod ends tie rods are more difficult to change than track rod ends.

Nissan doctor

taintabird wrote: »

are you sure it was the tie rod ends you changed thats way too cheap. there is a difference between tie rod ends and track rod ends tie rods are more difficult to change than track rod ends.

Tie rod ends and track rod ends are the same thing...

no1beemerfan

taintabird wrote: »

are you sure it was the tie rod ends you changed thats way too cheap. there is a difference between tie rod ends and track rod ends tie rods are more difficult to change than track rod ends.

As Nissan Doctor stated they are the same thing, just people call them different names. And yes I got them for €11 each. Though that is from a motor factors where I get 25% discount.

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Tie rod ends and track rod ends are the same thing...

taintabird

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Tie rod ends and track rod ends are the same thing...

since when was the inner tie rod end the same as a track rod end ?

no1beemerfan

taintabird wrote: »

since when was the inner tie rod end the same as a track rod end ?

Who said INNER tie rod? They just said tie rod. Tie rod and track rod end are the same thing, however if someone said INNER tie rod....well then that IS a different ball game alright.

seamus

Yes, it is...inner tie rod, passenger side front.

They dropped the quote to just over €200, but I'm waiting on a quote from another place at the moment to compare.

no1beemerfan

Ah I see! Inner tie rod and tie rod are two different things so thats where the price difference comes in!

I can't help you on the Inner tie rod but it would be more expensive plus a harder job to do.

BrianD3

My understanding of the terminology

Tie rod = track rod = inner tie rod = inner track rod

Tie rod end = track rod end. The part connected to the hub carrier.

I have never heard a "track rod end" referred to as a "tie rod".

Nissan doctor

taintabird wrote: »

are you sure it was the tie rod ends you changed thats way too cheap. there is a difference between tie rod ends and track rod ends tie rods are more difficult to change than track rod ends.

This is not correct. Tie rod ends and track rod ends are both the same part.

taintabird wrote: »

since when was the inner tie rod end the same as a track rod end ?

No such thing as an inner tie rod end. There are inner tie rods or tie rod ends..the inner tie rod attaches to the steering rack, the tie rod end attaches the tie rod to the hub


The confusion comes from the US market using the terms Tie rod and the euro/japanese market using the track rod term. The two are now crossing over and confusing people without formal training and even some who have. The amount of times I've seen cars coming in with an NCT failure sheet and the NCT testers have described the wrong part as being at fault

taintabird

You are splitting hairs at this stage enough

Nissan doctor

It may seem like that, but if you are working in the business you will have come accross a car coming in where the NCTS has told the customer the tie rod end is gone, you look at the car and find its the tie rod thats thats has play and try to explain that the NCT got it wrong and the part is more expensive then you initially priced, they think you are trying to rip them off etc etc all because someone doesn't know the correct term for a part.

Using the incorrect name also causes issues when trying to order replacement parts too.

Using the incorrect terms for parts/systems also leads to the customer loosing their confidence in your knowalage of the work being done on their car.

Just my view though...

mikewest

OP, does it have to be main dealer as that sounds very expensive.

seamus

mikewest wrote: »

OP, does it have to be main dealer as that sounds very expensive.

Nah it doesn't. They dropped the quote to just over €200 when I went in to collect the car, but then I got a quote off a local guy for €120, so I'm going with that.

Nissan doctor

seamus wrote: »

Nah it doesn't. They dropped the quote to just over €200 when I went in to collect the car, but then I got a quote off a local guy for €120, so I'm going with that.

Just be sure that the local guy is including wheel alignment in that though...

taintabird

Nissan doctor wrote: »

It may seem like that, but if you are working in the business you will have come accross a car coming in where the NCTS has told the customer the tie rod end is gone, you look at the car and find its the tie rod thats thats has play and try to explain that the NCT got it wrong and the part is more expensive then you initially priced, they think you are trying to rip them off etc etc all because someone doesn't know the correct term for a part.

Using the incorrect name also causes issues when trying to order replacement parts too.

Using the incorrect terms for parts/systems also leads to the customer loosing their confidence in your knowalage of the work being done on their car.

Just my view though...

only a fool takes an nct test report at face value in my experience I never price a job on the test report alone I have the car up on the ramp and look and satisfy myself I have even seen reports with the problem described on the wrong side for gods sake. In a lot of cases the report sheet isn't worth the paper its written on buts worthy of a tread all of its own.

Nissan doctor

taintabird wrote: »

only a fool takes an nct test report at face value in my experience I never price a job on the test report alone I have the car up on the ramp and look and satisfy myself I have even seen reports with the problem described on the wrong side for gods sake. In a lot co cases the report sheet isn't worth the paper its written on buts worthy of a tread all of its own.

I agree 100% but I have had many instances of a customer calling up and asking how much to change xxxx part, you price it and then find they need a different part when they arrive and as customer are often very suspicious of indy garages(not always without reason) it is hard to convince them that it is you who are right and not the government backed body!

no1beemerfan

taintabird wrote: »

only a fool takes an nct test report at face value in my experience I never price a job on the test report alone I have the car up on the ramp and look and satisfy myself I have even seen reports with the problem described on the wrong side for gods sake. In a lot of cases the report sheet isn't worth the paper its written on buts worthy of a tread all of its own.

Yes but a LOT of people are clueless when it comes to cars. So they trust the NCT report etc. I'd say hardly anyone satifies themselves like you do if they fail the NCT.

And Nissan Doctor is 110% right in stating that the wording of parts can cause a lot of problems/confusion.

taintabird

Nissan doctor wrote: »

I agree 100% but I have had many instances of a customer calling up and asking how much to change xxxx part, you price it and then find they need a different part when they arrive and as customer are often very suspicious of indy garages(not always without reason) it is hard to convince them that it is you who are right and not the government backed body!

You will have to admit that some of the dealerships take the p** a bit too with astronomic labour charges. from my experience if you show the customer the problem and explain it properly you generally wont have a problem, a lot of people don't have faith in the nct anyway and in some cases for good reason. I guess you wont please everyone anyway

taintabird

no1beemerfan wrote: »

Yes but a LOT of people are clueless when it comes to cars. So they trust the NCT report etc. I'd say hardly anyone satifies themselves like you do if they fail the NCT.

And Nissan Doctor is 110% right in stating that the wording of parts can cause a lot of problems/confusion.

I am in the trade friend that's why I satisfy myself before ordering anything you don't have to tell me most people are cluless when it comes to cars all you have to do is look at some of the dubious advice handed out here in some treads